Discovering Love Beyond Depression

~ womeninlivingness

by Julie Ferguson, Mackay

Why would sitting in a room full of women feel so difficult? 

To sit in a room full of women and feel that I belong has not been an everyday experience for me. In fact, I’ve become increasingly aware of the discomfort and competitiveness that I’ve felt when I’ve been in the company of any woman. The constant comparison has created obstacles in the way I’ve conversed with them – as I distracted myself with feelings of envy or pity, depending on where I judged others to be in relation to me. Thankfully, this was not in force during Mackay’s Esoteric Developers Women’s Group (EDWG) and has since lessened enormously in my day-to-day living. Continue reading “Discovering Love Beyond Depression” →

Hot flushes, Menopause and True Responsibility

~ womeninlivingness

By Sharon Gavioli, Registered Nurse, Birth Educator, Counselor, Brisbane, Queensland

At the age of 46, my body decided to commence the first signs of impending menopause with intense hot flushes.

This came as a shock to me, as my mother had told me she did not reach menopause until she was 55 and that her periods had continued regularly, until one month after which they never returned. I felt at 46 that I was too young for menopause but despite my objections this cycle had begun.

I experienced irregular cycles and significant hot flushes for the next five years. Continue reading “Hot flushes, Menopause and True Responsibility” →

Marriage vows: a commitment to myself and to humanity

~ womeninlivingness ~ 3 Comments

by Michelle Sheldrake, 43 years old, Brisbane, Australia

Over the weekend I attended our regular Esoteric Women’s group in Brisbane. During the course of our discussions on beauty and the ideals we are surrounded by, Natalie Benhayon* shared that women – instead of being married to their roles or to ideals and beliefs, their families and so on – might actually consider first getting married to themselves!….. their own marriage vows. Continue reading “Marriage vows: a commitment to myself and to humanity” →

Learning to Love Myself Through My Breasts – The Early Years of Shame

~ womeninlivingness

by Luz Helena Hincapie, 35 years, BA Architect, Colombia, South America

When I started writing this article, I found many other women were expressing their experiences with their breasts. It felt as if we were all connected at this time, and that the topic was ‘in the air’. It felt timely and confirming. I would like to share my own experience with my breasts, especially since I allowed myself to acknowledge and connect back to them. I am amazed at how much we as women can learn from our breasts. Continue reading “Learning to Love Myself Through My Breasts – The Early Years of Shame” →

Menopause – Not the Poisoned Chalice you Might Think it is

~ womeninlivingness

by Dragana Brown, London, UK

There is a misapprehension (or two, or three…) and a certain (stale) air around menopause which says (in an unspoken way) that a woman has reached her best before – or even worse, her expiry date – when menopause looms.

So what happens if the ‘use by’ date occurs during your unripe and not ready-to-be-written-off-the-shelf age? Continue reading “Menopause – Not the Poisoned Chalice you Might Think it is” →

Corporate Work Demands – Changing the Way I Think and Feel

~ womeninlivingness

by Heather Pope, Sydney, Australia

This morning I was woken at 1:20am with a call from a work colleague who needed some help for one of our customers.

I work for a large multi-national company managing a team of people, and we have customers all over the world. The call only took a few moments but as I lay there afterwards (wishing I could fall back to sleep, but with work issues now running through my head) I began to ponder this work life I am living, and wonder if others in the world are living similarly.

Then I received a text from one of my (several) bosses about another issue which I replied to (at 1:30am). This boss lives in Singapore where it was 11:30pm, and he replied.

And so my work day had begun, and indeed I wondered, did it ever end… Continue reading “Corporate Work Demands – Changing the Way I Think and Feel” →

‘To Do’ Lists: Drive and Distraction

~ womeninlivingness

By Leonne, Brisbane

Today I have been feeling incredibly distracted. I have been beginning task after task and feeling as though I am not getting anywhere at all. I have been able to feel that what I really want to do is write this blog but until this moment I have found a way to distract myself by doing everything but blog writing!

Distraction has been a theme throughout my life.

When I was in primary school (aged about 7 or 8) I received a report card that stated ‘Leonne is easily distracted and distracts others’. I remember feeling quite pleased about this; I did not like this particular teacher very much and I was glad she could tell that I did not find her particularly engaging. I was doubly happy that my ability to influence the behaviour of others had been confirmed by a grownup. I equated being a distraction with being entertaining, fun, influential and popular. Up until this point I had been a model student and I watched my parents closely for any reaction to this news about my behaviour, but there was no negative reaction and they seemed to think the comment was rather amusing. It is not surprising that the words ‘easily distracted’ and ‘distracts others’ appeared on many of my report cards over the next eight years! Continue reading “‘To Do’ Lists: Drive and Distraction” →

From Revulsion to Celebration and the wonders of the Esoteric Breast Massage

~ womeninlivingness

 by Kate Greenaway, Physiotherapist, Australia

Over the last 6 years I have been having Esoteric Breast Massages (EBM) from different fully qualified and trained practitioners with Universal Medicine. This is a wonderfully supportive and nurturing healing modality which has helped me let go of many old restrictive beliefs around what it is to be a woman and especially, a menopausal woman. Continue reading “From Revulsion to Celebration and the wonders of the Esoteric Breast Massage” →

True Relationships: from Abuse to Love with Grace

~ womeninlivingness

by Adele Leung, Fashion Stylist/Art Director, Hong Kong

From 15 years of age onwards, there has been almost no break in the intimate relationships in my life. Every man that I have been with I thought I would marry.

Until three years ago: I got divorced from my marriage of two years because of an affair. My divorce was in fact a period of grace for me.  It was my meeting with Grace.

Continue reading “True Relationships: from Abuse to Love with Grace” →